Article holder

ABSTRACT

An article holder adapted to hold pens, pencils or other articles, such as for example hand tools, is formed as a rigid receptacle having a pair of opposed side walls and at least one open end. A spring arrangement is positioned within the receptacle adjacent one open end for biasing articles placed in the receptacle through its open end towards one of the side walls, while also serving to resist transverse movement of the article with respect to the spring thereby to hold the article in a relatively fixed position in the receptacle, without disturbing the remainder of the spring so that the remainder of the spring is available for holding other articles placed in the receptacle. In addition, a stop ledge arrangement is provided in the receptacle adjacent its lower end to limit the depth of insertion of articles into the receptacle and to aid in holding the articles in a relatively fixed position therein. The receptacle is adapted to be removably or permanently secured to a support element, by a clip or other type of mounting arrangement.

The present invention relates to an article holder, and in particular toa holder or receptacle adapted to hold pencils, pens, and other articlesin briefcases, bags, or garment pockets.

Many people often carry with them a number of different articles, suchas writing implements, small tools, rulers, and other articles so thatthey may be available for use at the different locations to which theperson may go. However, problems arise with the transport of sucharticles in that they are generally loosely held in the pocket,briefcase and the like, so that they are lost or damaged. While someattempts have been made to solve this problem by providing discretepockets for individual articles in briefcases and the like, so that theycannot fall out of the pockets, such arrangements are relativelyexpensive and impractical. There is therefore a need for an articleholder which can contain or hold a variety of different sized articles,such as pens and pencils, or small tools, without making specialprovision for any particular sized article, so that no article has apredetermined or preassigned location for placement in the holder. Suchan arrangement will require a minimum of visual monitoring to be used ininserting or removing articles from the holder.

A number of different types of article holders, and particular pencilholders, have been proposed in the past which are formed in a variety ofconstructions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,819,225 to Burman disclosesa pocket pencil holder which uses a brush arrangement for holding apencil in a receptacle. However, it is apparent that the spaced brusharrangement will not accommodate pencils of a variety of differentsizes. U.S. Pat. No. 1,364,210, on the other hand, discloses a clipmember using individual pairs of spring fingers for holding a pencil inposition in a pocket. This arrangement requires the pencil to be placedin the pocket point up, which presents an entirely undesirablearrangement. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,697,258 and 3,056,108 disclose pocketinserts which use serrated teeth elements to define spaces in which anindividual pencil or the like may be placed. Thus, the article used withthese holders must be accurately positioned in a serration in order forthe device to operate satisfactorily. This is undesirable in that itrequires too much effort in aligning the pencil or article with theserrations in order to be practical as a human convenience. U.S. Pat.No. 1,135,174 discloses a folded metal pencil holder in which a grippingmember is positioned adjacent the lower end of the container for wedginga pencil or article in a relatively fixed position. However, thatarrangement would not appear to prevent lateral movement of the pencilsin the container so that pencils can lie in an angled positioninterfering with insertion or removal of other pencils therein.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a durable andinexpensive article holder particularly adapted for holding pens,pencils or other articles to be transported on the person, in abriefcase, bag or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article holderwhich is adapted to receive a variety of different types and sizes ofarticles of general use with ease, without the need for preselection oflocation of the article within the holder and with a minimum of visualmonitoring.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article holderin which articles can be removed with ease while still being able tohold the articles in their inserted position and location withoutmovement, even when subjected to transportation on the person or in abriefcase and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article holder havingend walls adapted to receive and maintain in a vertical position claspequipped items which are too large to fit inside the holder or with aclasp motion too small to fit over partitions in a briefcase.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an articleholder adapted to hold pencils and the like which protects the sharpenedlead of the pencil during storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pen and pencil holderor the like which can be readily removably mounted on a supportpartition or the like in a briefcase or a garment pocket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article holderwhich is adapted to be manufactured of molded plastic or otherwiseprocessed and yet include all of the features mentioned above.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention an article holderparticularly adapted to hold or contain pens, pencils or the like isprovided having a substantially rigid receptacle including a pair ofopposed generally parallely extending side walls and a pair of laterallyspaced end walls connecting the side walls together in a one-pieceintegral structure. The receptacle has an upper end and an opposedbottom end, with spring means located in the receptacle on at least oneof its side walls below its open upper end. This spring biases articlesplaced in the receptacle through the open end towards the other of theside walls. The spring is particularly designed to have a greater degreeof flexibility in the direction which is parallel to the side walls andtransverse to the direction of insertion of the articles than it has inthe direction of insertion of the article. By this arrangement thespring holds the article in a relatively fixed position against theother of the side walls and resists unrestrained movement of the articlein a transverse direction along the spring. This occurs because, in viewof its characteristics, the spring is deflected adjacent the article butthe portions thereof laterally of the article are not materiallydeflected from their unrestrained position. Accordingly, the springforms a pocket which resists lateral movement of the article. Thus, theremainder of the spring stays available for receiving and holdinganother article without interfering with articles previously placed inthe receptacle.

In addition, the receptacle includes along at least one of its sidewalls, adjacent its lower end, a stop ledge extending generally parallelto the spring for limiting the depth of insertion of articles into thereceptacle. Preferably, a pair of spaced stop ledges are provided onopposite walls of the receptacle, to define a slot that receives thetips of a pencil and protects them from damage during transportation.

Finally, the receptacle of the invention is provided with a clasp orother connecting means which enables the receptacle to be removablysecured to a support member, such as an inside pocket of an attachecase.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this inventionwill be apparent in the following detailed description of anillustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, with part broken away, illustratingone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 andshowing the receptacle mounted on a support member;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the receptacle illustrated in FIG. 1,showing an additional article mounted on the receptacle;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1, but showingseveral articles positioned within the receptacle;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of yet another embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of a still furtherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of another embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of an embodiment of theinvention formed with two receptacle sections of different sizes;

FIG. 10 is a partial plan view similar to FIG. 3, showing anotherconfiguration for the end walls of the receptacle;

FIG. 10A is a partial plan view similar to FIG. 10 showing another endwall configuration;

FIG. 11 is a partial side sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of theembodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 11 of the embodimentof the invention shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 11 of the embodiment ofthe invention shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 14 is a partial side sectional view similar to FIG. 11 of theembodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 15 is a partial side sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing aclosure mounted on the open lower end of the receptacle;

FIG. 16 is a partial side sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing areceptacle holder having an integral spring member formed thereon;

FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing amodified clasp structure, used for securing the receptacle to a supportmember and illustrating the configuration of the clasp structure beforemounting;

FIG. 18 is a partial side sectional view similar to FIG. 17, showing theconfiguration of the clasp of FIG. 17 after the receptacle is mounted ona support;

FIG. 19 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3, of a further embodiment of thepresent invention having a slightly curved configuration and using aplurality of clasps to mount the receptacle in a pocket or the like.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and initially to FIG. 1 thereof,an article holder 30, constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, is illustrated which is adapted to support individualarticles such as for example pens, pencils or small tools, or the like,in a relatively fixed position within the holder. The articles in theholder will not move about therein during transportation under normalconditions, even if the holder is inverted. Preferably, article holder30 is formed as a plastic receptacle, of polyethylene, polystyrene, orany other convenient relatively rigid plastic material by molding,extrusion molding, or in any other convenient manner. The holder hasfront and back walls 32, 33 and end walls 34, 35 connecting the sidewalls in generally parallel relationship which define a receptacle forthe articles placed therein. However, it is contemplated that side walls32, 33 may diverge from one another if desired, as may the end walls.The side and end walls define an open top end 20 in the receptaclethrough which articles, such as pens or pencils 22, may be inserted. Inaddition, the receptacle is provided with a bottom wall or skirt at itslower end 24, opposite open end 22. This bottom wall may be open, ifdesired, as described hereinafter.

The pencils or other articles inserted in receptacle 30 are held in arelatively fixed position against the front wall 32 of the receptacle byone or more spring members 36 located within the receptacle along rearwall 33. In this regard, it is noted that although the preferredembodiments of the present invention are described as having springelements 36 located along the rear wall in order to hold the pencilsagainst front wall 32, it is contemplated that springs can be providedalong the front wall to hold the articles along the rear wall of thereceptacle, or even on both the front and rear walls. The spring orsprings 36 are especially constructed, as described hereinafter, to holdthe articles in a relatively fixed position against lateral movementparallel to the spring within the receptacle so as not to interfere withinsertion or withdrawal of other articles into the holder.

The lower end of the receptacle includes a pair of ledges or stopmembers 37, 38, along front and rear walls 32, 33, which ledges definean opening 54 in the lower end 24 of the article holder. These ledgesare slightly spaced from one another to receive therebetween the tip orpoint of a pencil, or other article, to act as stops limiting the depthof penetration of the article into the receptacle. In addition, where anarticle such as a pencil or pen is inserted between the ledges, somewedging action will result because of the frictional engagement of thepencil between the ledges, which will also aid in preventing movement ofthe article in the holder. Alternatively a single ledge or stop membermay be used alone on one of the side walls. In addition the edges of theledges may be serrated to increase the frictional engagement of thepencil tips with the ledge to aid in restraining lateral movement of thepencils.

Finally, the article holder of the invention includes means for securingthe holder to a support member, such as for example a shirt pocket or apocket or separation panel in a briefcase or the like. In theillustrative embodiment of the invention this securing means comprises aclasp 39 which constitutes an integral curved finger or bar formed alongthe upper edge of the rear wall 33 of the holder, providing a springforce for clasping a support member 51 or the like.

As mentioned above, the springs used in the present invention aredesigned to insure that the articles are held in a relatively fixedposition against lateral movement or inadvertent withdrawal from theholder. In one embodiment of the invention this is accomplished byproviding a spring member which constitutes a cantilevered blade 36,having an upper end 36' and a lower end 36". Upper end 36' is adhered orbonded to rear wall 33 of the article holder in any convenient manner,such as for example by an epoxy adhesive or the like. The blade isformed of a resilient plastic material or the like, and has a form suchthat its lower end projects or cantilevers away from rear wall 33, asillustrated in FIG. 2. This projecting or cantilevered lower portion ofthe blade is provided with a smooth outer surface 26 and a variablethickness, as seen in FIG. 4. The variable thickness is such that thethin portions 26' of the blade, between the thicker portions 26"thereof, extend generally vertically, i.e. in the direction of insertionof the pencil into the holder. By this arrangement the blade will besomewhat more flexible (i.e. have somewhat less shear strength) in atransverse direction, i.e., parallel to the plane of the blade andtransverse to the direction of insertion of the article, than it is inthe direction of application of the spring force holding the articleagainst the front wall 32. Thus, when an article is inserted it will beheld against the front wall 32 of the holder and the portions of theblade immediately in contact with the article will flex rearwardly.However, the portions of the blade or spring laterally adjacent thearticle will not be materially affected, as illustrated in FIG. 4, sothat the remainder of the spring is available to engage and hold anotherarticle. With this spring structure articles of different sizes can beplaced in the article holder and held in a fixed position, since a largearticle for example the article A in FIG. 4, does not compress or bendthe entire spring, but only bends the portion of the spring immediatelyadjacent thereto. Thus, the remainder of the spring is available forsmall articles such as for example, article B. The variance in thecharacter of flexibility of the blade can also be achieved by using acorrugated blade material, as illustrated for example in FIGS. 7 and 13.In this case the corrugations run in the same direction along at leastthe lower portion of the blade, as do the varying thickness ridges inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thecorrugations in the blade produce the reduced shear strength of theblades in the transverse direction, but they also serve to accommodatemore readily articles of varying sizes and the corrugations, whendepressed, will flatten out to accommodate the article without actuallystretching or stressing adjacent portions of the blade so that theremainder of the blade is substantially unaffected by the presence ofthe article.

Another structure for achieving essentially the same result as thesprings of FIGS. 4 and 7 is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, aflat sheet of flexible material 42 is adhered along its upper edge 41'as well as along its side edges 41" to rear wall 33 of article holder30. However, in this case the sheet does not produce the desired springaction (it is much thinner than the blade previously described) and acompression block 40 is provided which is formed of a foamed plasticmaterial or the like, adhered to the rear wall between the rear wall andthe rear face of sheet 41. This foam material provides a spring actionto the sheet member 41 at a relatively soft spring rate. The sheet 41acts as a film on skin, which either may be loose over the block or maybe bonded thereto, which protects the resilient block against abrasionand puncturing from items entering into and removed from the articleholder. As seen in FIG. 11, block 40 has a generally triangularly shapedcross section so that its lower end 42 protrudes away from the rear wall33 of the holder. When articles are inserted in the holder the blockdeflects, as illustrated in FIG. 5, by compressing immediately behindthe article while remaining essentially fully expanded in positionsadjacent to the article. This forms a pocket in the block about theinserted article which holds the article or pencil against lateralmovement. At the same time the resiliency of the block holds the articleagainst the front wall 32 so that it is tightly retained in the articleholder even when the holder is inverted. Although a flat sheet orprotective member 41 is shown, it is contemplated that sheet 41 becorrugated to more readily accommodate inserted articles withoutstressing the sheet. In either case the sheet 41 may be positionedeither tightly or loosely over the compression block.

A modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is illustrated in FIGS.6 and 12 of the drawing. In this embodiment, a compression block 44 isprovided with is also formed of a foam plastic material or the like, butwhich has an integrally formed smooth outer surface 45, to resistabrasion. This surface can be formed on or secured integrally with thefoam block in any conventional manner, e.g. by heat treatment, as wouldoccur to those skilled in the art.

A still further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 8and 14. In this embodiment, in lieu of a blade or compression block typespring, a plurality of thin closely spaced vertical blades 46 areintegrally formed on a base block 47 or the like bonded to the rear wall33 of the holder. These blades have a generally triangular configurationin side view, as illustrated in FIG. 14, with their long base 46'secured to block 47. The other legs 48, 49 have a generally uniformslope, meeting at a curved apex. The triangular configuration of theblades insures that the blades will deflect laterally, as seen in FIG.8, to accommodate individual articles placed in the holder. However, thebent blades then provide a biasing force holding the articles againstthe front wall 32 of the receptacle. At the same time, the thicker baseportions of the blades, after the article is inserted in the holder,will resist lateral movement of the article within the holder.

In each of the embodiments described thus far, the spring has beenformed as a separate element secured to the rear wall of the holder.However, it is contemplated that a spring or spring elements, forholding an article in place in the receptacle, can be integrally moldedwith the receptacle walls. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 16, a blade 28is integrally molded with rear wall 33 of the receptacle. The blade canbe molded with a varying cross sectional dimension, as in the embodimentof FIG. 1, or with a corrugated configuration, as in the embodiment inFIG. 7. Actually, the blade forms an integral extension of the rearwall. As illustrated in FIG. 16, the blade normally occupies the dottedline configuration thereof when no article is inserted in thereceptacle. However, when an article is inserted the blade is deflectedat the area thereof immediately adjacent the article to the solid lineposition. However, because of the varying thickness of the blade, or itscorrugated configuration, portions of the blade laterally adjacent tothe article are not materially affected and remain available for holdingother and different sized articles. With this form of the inventionhowever, it will be appreciated that the rear wall of the article willhave an opening 50 formed therein at least at the location of the springmember.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 9. Thisembodiment may be constructed in the same manner as the previouslydescribed embodiments, i.e., of a molded plastic construction having oneor more spring members mounted thereon or integrally formed therewith.In this embodiment of the invention however article holder 30 is formedwith two article holding sections 30a, 30b, each of which contains aspring element or spring block 36, of the type described above. In thisform the section 30a is somewhat larger than the section 30b, so that itcan accommodate relatively large articles, while section 30baccommodates smaller articles. In this regard, it is noted that if largearticles are to be held in the holder of the present invention, inaddition to making the holder larger, as with the section 30a in theright of FIG. 9, it is contemplated that spring members 36 may be placedalong both the side walls 32, 33 of the holder, in order to increase thespring force applied to the article to hold it in the container.

It often occurs that certain types of articles, such as for examplelarge marking pens and the like, are designed with mounting clasps thatcan accommodate only thin materials such as a shirt pocket or the like,and cannot be mounted on the relatively thick partition member formed inpockets in briefcases or other carrying bags. The article holder of thepresent invention is designed to accommodate such larger articles whichcannot be secured to conventional partitions and which even may be toolarge to be inserted within the article holder of the invention. In thisconnection, end walls 34, 35 are formed, in the illustrative embodimentof the invention, to be generally concave so that the clasp 70 of such alarge pen 72 or the like can be placed over the end wall of thereceptacle. The concave outwardly opening configuration of the end wallsof the receptacle serve to hold such articles against shifting thereonand form, in effect, a pocket retaining the article. The curvature ofthe side walls will accommodate a range of pens of different crosssectional dimensions. Another configuration for the concave end wallscontemplated for the holder of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 10A.

In another embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 10, the endwalls of the holder can be concave and open inwardly, so that the anglebetween the wall and the partition 51, on which the holder is mounted,will serve to locate the outwardly mounted pen 72 and hold it againstshifting away from partition 51.

As mentioned above, the article holder of the invention includes a pairof ledges 37, 38 integrally formed therein along its lower end. Theledges extend transversely of the article holder generally parallel tothe spring member or members 36. The space between the ledges or stopsserves to protect the tips of pencils and other similarly shaped itemsfrom damage. The stops are preferably continuous along the entire widthof the article holder, although they can be formed intermittently ifdesired. The edges of these ledges may be sharp angled, as illustratedin FIG. 2, or they may be rounded and/or beveled to increase the wedgingaction thereof. Alternatively, these edges may even be serrated tofurther increase their gripping action on the tip of the pencil in orderto aid the spring in resisting lateral movement of an article once it isplaced in the holder.

As mentioned, the bottom wall 24 of the article holder may be opened,with an opening 54 formed between ledges 37, 38, to permit dust, dirtand other particles to fall out of the holder. Alternatively, if this isnot desired, the holder can be provided with a closed bottom portion, oreven with a removable cap 55, as illustrated in FIG. 15 of the drawing.This cap can simply be frictionally fit in the open end 24 of the holderas desired. Thus, the cap can be removed for cleaning of the holder, ifnecessary.

It is contemplated that the article holder of the present invention canbe secured to any type of support structure as desired, in anyconvenient manner. However, in the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention a clasp 39 is utilized, as discussed above, in order toremovably mount the article holder on the partition or pocket wall of abriefcase or bag, or even in a shirt or jacket pocket. The clasp isproportioned to allow easy installation, shifting, and removal by handand yet has sufficient strength to maintain the holder attached to thesupport member without slippage during transportation.

In the embodiment of the clasp illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing theextreme free end or tip 56 of the clasp finger (which in this embodimentof the invention has a width substantially the same width as the rearwall 33 of the holder) is slightly curved outwardly away from the wall33 in order to make insertion of the support member 51 between the claspand the rear wall easier. However, this curved tip also may act as anentrapping obstacle to sheets of paper or the like held in the briefcasepocket. To avoid this it is preferable that the tip be flat and taperedtowards rear wall 33 of the holder. With this configuration it may bedifficult to spread the clasp in order to insert the support member. Toovercome these problems, as seen in FIG. 17, a spreader member 58 isprovided which constitutes an elongated bar, having a flat lowersurface, and longer than the clasp finger itself, positioned in thespace 58' formed between the clasp finger 39 and the rear wall 33 of theholder. The finger 39, being integrally formed with the rear wall, isspaced further away from the rear wall adjacent its upper end 76 than atits lower end or tip 57. The spreader bar is dimensioned such that itswidth is approximately the same as the width of the space 58' adjacentits top, so that the spreader bar can be stored in that space when notneeded. However, when it is desired to insert the holder on a partitionthe spreader bar is grasped between the thumb and the index finger ofone hand and slid downwardly in space 58' to push the tip 57 of thefinger 39 away from the adjacent side wall, thereby to form a spacetherebetween. This space allows partition 51 to be inserted between tip57 and the adjacent side wall. When the clasp is then pushed downagainst the partition 51 the spreader 58 will ride up along the top ofthe partition 51 back into the upper portion of the space 58' where itno longer has any effect on clasp 39. The end 57 of the clasp is thenfree to move inwardly against the partition and clamp the holder ontothe partition member. While not illustrated, it is contemplated that theends of the spreader bar 58 be shaped such that they are larger than thedimension of the slot 58' so that they cannot slide laterally out of thearticle holder when it is in its storage position.

While a single clasp arrangement has been illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2of the drawing, it is contemplated that the clasp may be formed as twoor more individual clasps or fingers, as seen in FIG. 19, at 62, 63, oras more than two clasps distributed in any suitable way along any one ofthe side walls of the article.

Accordingly, it is seen that a relatively simply constructed articleholder is provided which is adapted to hold individual articles such aspens, pencils and the like, in a relatively fixed position againstmovement when inserted into the holder. Because of the specializedconstruction of the spring elements used in the present invention thereis no need for the user to select the location or size of a particularhole or position for the article he wishes to insert in the holder, asthe springs will accommodate within the same holder articles of manydifferent sizes. The holder is conveniently mounted on a partition in abriefcase, taking up little space therein, and it is designed to protectthe tips of pens, or pencils or the like, within the briefcase againstany damage.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to those preciseembodiments, but that various changes and modifications may be effectedtherein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope orspirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An article holder comprising a substantiallyrigid receptacle having a pair of opposed rigid side walls and a pair ofopposed rigid end walls defining therebetween an open upper end for thereceptacle, a bottom end opposite said open upper end, spring meansmounted within said rigid recepacle for biasing articles placed in saidrigid receptacle, through said open end, towards one of said side wallswhile resisting movement of the article transversely of the direction ofinsertion thereof, said spring means comprising a resilient compressibleblock of elastic foam material mounted on one of said side walls andhaving upper and lower ends and a width dimension which slopinglyincreases from said upper end towards said lower end thereby to hold thearticle in a relatively fixed position in said receptacle; a flexiblefilm overlying said width dimension of said foam material, means in saidreceptacle defining a continuous slot spaced above said bottom endthereof and below said lower end of said spring means for receiving theends of articles inserted in the receptacle while limiting the depth ofinsertion of articles into said receptacle and holding the inserted endsof the articles above said bottom end of the receptacle; and means forsecuring said receptacle to a support.
 2. An article holder as definedin claim 1 wherein said spring means has greater shear flexibility inthe direction transverse to the direction of insertion of the articleinto the receptacle than in the direction of insertion of the articleinto the receptacle whereby the article is held in a relatively fixedposition in the receptacle while the portions of the spring meansadjacent thereto remain relatively undisturbed and available forreceiving and holding another article without disturbing or interferingwith articles previously placed in the receptacle.
 3. An article holderas defined in claim 2 wherein said spring structure comprises anelongated blade member having upper and lower edges and being mounted onone of said receptacle walls adjacent its upper edge with its lower edgeprojecting away from said wall toward the other of said walls, againstwhich said articles are biased.
 4. An article holder as defined in claim3 wherein said blade has a relatively smooth surface facing said otherwall and a varying cross-sectional thickness at least adjacent its loweredge in the direction transverse to the direction of insertion of thearticles into the receptacle.
 5. An article holder as defined in claim 3wherein said blade is corrugated at least adjacent its lower edge, withsaid corrugations extending in the direction of insertion of thearticles into the receptacle.
 6. An article holder as defined in claim 3wherein said spring structure includes a resilient compression blockpositioned between said blade and said one wall of the receptacle, saidblock providing the spring force holding said article in saidreceptacle.
 7. An article holder as defined in claim 2 wherein saidblock of elastic foam material has a generally wedge shapedcross-section mounted on said receptacle wall along one of its long legswith its short leg facing away from the open end of the receptacle, theother long leg of said block facing said other of the receptacle walls.8. An article holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said spring structurecomprises a plurality of closely spaced vertically extending resilientblades.
 9. An article holder as defined in claim 8 wherein said bladesare relatively flat and have a generally triangular configurationincluding a long base secured to said one wall.
 10. An article holder asdefined in claim 2 wherein said securing means comprises at least oneintegral resilient finger on said receptacle extending outside of thereceptacle and closely adjacent to and inclined towards one of the wallsthereof for grasping between the finger and the adjacent receptacle walla thin flat support member on which the receptacle is to be supported,said finger including a free end biased towards the adjacent receptaclewall and an upper end integral with the receptacle wall including acurved portion bending away from said wall to define a tapering spacebetween the wall and said finger.
 11. An article holder comprising asubstantially rigid receptacle having a pair of opposed side walls andat least one open end, spring means mounted within said receptacle forbiasing articles placed in said receptacle, through said open end,towards one of said side walls while resisting transverse movement ofthe article with respect to the spring thereby to hold the article in arelatively fixed position in said receptacle; means in said receptaclespaced from the end thereof opposite said at least one open end andbelow said spring means for limiting the depth of insertion of articlesinto said receptacle; and means for securing said receptacle to asupport; said spring means comprising a spring structure having greatershear flexibility in the direction transverse of the direction ofinsertion of the article into the receptacle than in the direction ofinsertion of the article into the receptacle whereby the article is heldin a relatively fixed position in the receptacle while the portions ofthe spring structure adjacent thereto remain relatively undisturbed andavailable for receiving and holding another article without disturbingor interfering with articles previously placed in the receptacle; saidsecuring means comprising at least one integral resilient finger on saidreceptacle extending outside of the receptacle and closely adjacent toand inclined towards one of the walls thereof for grasping between thefinger and the adjacent receptacle wall a thin flat support member onwhich the receptacle is to be supported, said finger including a freeend biased towards the adjacent receptacle wall and an upper endintegral with the receptacle wall including a curved portion bendingaway from said wall to define a tapering space between the wall and saidfinger; and a spreader bar removably positioned in said space formovement to a position between said wall and said free end of the fingerto move the finger away from the wall thereby to permit insertion of asupport member between the free end of the finger and the wall wherebymovement of the support member into said space moves said bar away fromthe free end of the finger permitting the finger to close on the supportmember.
 12. An article holder as defined in claim 2 wherein saidreceptacle includes a pair of spaced end walls connecting said sidewalls.
 13. An article holder as defined in claim 12 wherein said endwalls are generally parallel to each other and are concave and openoutwardly of the receptacle to define pockets for receiving a pen,pencil and the like.
 14. An article holder as defined in claim 13wherein said concave end walls are substantially symmetrical.
 15. Anarticle holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for limiting thedepth of insertion of articles into said receptable comprises at leastone straight continuous stop ledge on one of said receptacle wallsextending transversely of the direction of insertion of the article. 16.An article holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for limitingthe depth of insertion of articles into said receptacle comprises a pairof laterally spaced parallely extending straight continuous stop ledgeson said receptacle walls adapted to receive therebetween the tip of apencil inserted in said receptacle with the end of the pencil tipextending below the ledges and held thereby above the bottom end of thereceptacle.
 17. An article holder as defined in claim 2 wherein saidspring means comprise a pair of said spring structures on said one wallof the receptacle in spaced parallel relation to each other.
 18. Anarticle holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said spring structure isintegrally formed with one of said side walls of said receptacle.
 19. Anarticle holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said bottom end of saidreceptacle has an opening formed therein.
 20. An article holder asdefined in claim 19 including a removable closure mounted in saidopening in said bottom end.
 21. An article holder comprising asubstantially rigid receptacle having a pair of opposed generallyparallely extending rigid side walls and a pair of laterally spacedrigid end walls connecting said side walls, said receptacle having anupper open end and an opposed bottom end; spring means in saidreceptacle on one of said side walls for biasing articles placed in saidreceptacle, through said open end, toward the other of said side walls;said spring means having a greater degree of shear flexibility in thedirection which is parallel to said side walls and transverse to thedirection of insertion of the article than in the direction of insertionof the article, whereby the spring holds the article in a relativelyfixed position against said other side wall and resists movement of thearticle in a transverse direction along the spring while the portions ofthe spring means adjacent to the article are relatively undisturbed andavailable for receiving and holding another article of differentthickness without interfering with articles previously placed in thereceptacle; said spring means comprising a resilient compressible blockof elastic foam material and having upper and lower ends and a widthdimension which increases from said upper end towards said lower end; aflexible film overlying said width dimension of said foam material meansintegrally formed on at least one of said side walls adjacent said lowerend of the receptacle for defining a continuous slot and at least onestop ledge extending from said one wall into the receptacle parallel tosaid spring means for limiting the depth of insertion of articles intothe receptacle and holding the inserted ends of the article above saidbottom end of the receptacle; and means integral with at least one ofsaid receptacle walls for removably securing said receptacle on asupport member.
 22. An article holder as defined in claim 21 whereinsaid securing means comprises at least one integral resilient finger onsaid receptacle extending outside of the receptacle and closely parallelto one of the walls thereof for grasping between the finger and theadjacent receptacle wall a thin flat support member on which thereceptacle is to be supported.
 23. An article holder comprising asubstantially rigid receptacle having a pair of opposed generallyparallely extending side walls and a pair of laterally spaced end wallsconnecting said side walls, said receptacle having an upper open end andan opposed bottom end; spring means in said receptacle on one of saidside walls for biasing articles placed in said receptacle, through saidopen end, toward the other of said side walls; said spring means havinga greater degree of shear flexibility in the direction which is parallelto said side walls and transverse to the direction of insertion of thearticle than in the direction of insertion of the article, whereby thespring holds the article in a relatively fixed position against saidother side wall and resists movement of the article in a transversedirection along the spring while the portions of the spring meansadjacent to the article are relatively undisturbed and available forreceiving and holding another article without interfering with articlespreviously placed in the receptacle; means on at least one of said sidewalls adjacent said lower end of the receptacle for defining at leastone stop ledge extending from said one wall into the receptacle parallelto said spring means for limiting the depth of insertion of articlesinto the receptacle; and means integral with at least one of saidreceptacle walls for removably securing said receptacle on a supportmember, said securing means comprises at least one integral resilientfinger on said receptacle extending outside of the receptacle andclosely parallel to one of the walls thereof for grasping between thefinger and the adjacent receptacle wall a thin flat support member onwhich the receptacle is to be supported; said finger including a freeend biased towards the adjacent receptacle wall and an upper endintegral with the receptacle wall including a curved portion bendingaway from said wall to define a tapering space between the wall and saidfinger; and a spreader bar movably positioned in said space for movementto a position between said wall and said free end of the finger to movethe finger away from the wall thereby to permit insertion of a supportmember between the free end of the finger and the wall whereby movementof the support member into said space moves said bar away from the freeend of the finger permitting the finger to close on the support member.24. An article holder as defined in claim 22 wherein said end walls areconcave and open outwardly of the receptacle to define pockets forreceiving a pen, pencil and the like.
 25. An article holder as definedin claim 22 wherein said spring means is integrally formed with saidreceptacle.
 26. An article holder as defined in claim 22 wherein saidlower end of the receptacle has an opening formed therein.
 27. Anarticle holder as defined in claim 26 including a removable closuremounted in said opening at said lower end of the container.
 28. Anarticle holder as defined in claim 22 wherein said spring meanscomprises an elongated blade member mounted on one of said side wallsand having a lower edge projecting away from said one side wall, saidblade having a varying cross-sectional thickness at least adjcent itslower edge along areas extending parallel to the direction of insertionof articles into the receptacle.
 29. An article holder as defined inclaim 7 wherein said other leg of said block has a smooth abrasionresistant surface formed thereon.
 30. An article holder as defined inclaim 6 wherein said skin is corrugated in the direction of insertion ofan article into the holder.